This was the first time since the 1970s that a government was not returned for its second term with a majority.

Contents

Overview1

Issues1.1

Timeline2

Major parties3

Results4

Results by region5

Results by place6

Opinion polls7

Campaign slogans8

Incumbent MNAs not running for re-election9

Liberals9.1

Péquistes9.2

Independent9.3

List of candidates10

Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine10.1

Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord10.2

Capitale-Nationale10.3

Mauricie10.4

Chaudière-Appalaches and Centre-du-Québec10.5

Estrie (Eastern Townships)10.6

Eastern Montérégie10.7

South Shore10.8

Montreal10.9

East10.9.1

West10.9.2

Laval10.10

Lanaudière10.11

Laurentides10.12

Outaouais10.13

Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec10.14

See also11

References12

External links13

Overview

With just over a year left in the government's five year mandate, the Liberals called an election for March 26, 2007.

In August 2006, there were widespread rumours of an election to be held in the fall with speculation that PremierJean Charest wanted to hold elections before a federal election would be held.

Benoît Pelletier, the minister responsible for electoral reform, had announced his plan to table two bills about election reform during the fall, possibly leading to a referendum on voting system reform to be held concurrently with the election.[4] However, as of December 2006, this plan has been put off indefinitely due to strong resistance to the idea of proportional representation from within the Liberal Party.[5]

Speculation grew that a provincial election would be held following the federal budget. It was thought that the federal Conservative government would present a budget that would address the perceived fiscal imbalance. This measure would help Charest argue that his government was more effective in getting concessions from the federal government than a PQ government would be. With polls showing Charest's Liberals ahead of the opposition for the first time in several years, speculation intensified that Charest would not wait until the federal budget to call a provincial election but call one in the winter to take advantage of both of these developments. Charest recalled the legislature early in order to table a provincial budget on February 20, 2007. On the same day, federal Minister of FinanceJim Flaherty announced that the federal budget would be tabled on March 19, clearing the way for Charest to set a provincial election for a week later in hopes of benefiting from Flaherty's budget. On February 21, Charest called the election for March 26.

Issues

André Boisclair, leader of the Parti Québécois, had said he would hold a referendum (or "popular consultation", as in the party platform) on the issue of Quebec independence as soon as possible after an election win.[6]

Multiculturalism, secularism and the place of cultural and religious minorities in Quebec were issues in this election. There was a large scale debate over "reasonable accommodation" towards cultural minorities, and a few political leaders expressed their views on the question. Mario Dumont, leader of the Action démocratique, took a clearer position on the question than the others, calling on the majority to protect some elements of national identity and values such as gender equality, and suggesting that a Quebec Constitution be written, in which the privileges cultural minorities are to be given would be clarified.[7]

August 14 - By-elections are held in Pointe-aux-Trembles and Taillon. André Boisclair is unsurprisingly and easily elected in Pointe-aux-Trembles, the Liberals and Action démocratique having declined to field candidates against him. The Greens place second with 12% and Québec solidaire, third with 8%. Marie Malavoy of the Parti Québécois is elected in Taillon.

August 22 - Boisclair and Malavoy are sworn in as members of the National Assembly. Boisclair becomes opposition leader.

October 17 - The fall session of the National Assembly starts, with the current crisis in Quebec's forestry industry as the most important issue.

January 19 - Radio-Canada reveals that Pierre Descoteaux, Liberal member from Groulx, almost crossed the floor to the Parti Québécois during the fall 2006.[8]

January 22 - During a visit to France, André Boisclair meets Ségolène Royal, Socialist candidate for the 2007 presidential election. At this occasion, Royal expresses her support for the "liberty and sovereignty" of Quebec.[9] After being criticized by several French media and French and Canadian politicians, such as prime ministerStephen Harper and opposition leaderStéphane Dion, Royal clarifies her thought by saying that she was not interfering in Canadian internal affairs or trying to dictate Quebec's policy, but that the future of Quebec will have to be decided by Quebecers.[10]

February 14 - Pierre Arcand, former president of Corus and presumed Liberal candidate in Mont-Royal, expresses his displeasure with Action démocratique leader Mario Dumont by comparing him with Jean-Marie Le Pen. In response, Dumont threatens legal action but Arcand refuses to apologize. PremierJean Charest stands by his candidate, and is called a "little partisan premier" by Dumont.[11]

February 20 - Finance minister Michel Audet tables a budget. Among other measures, this budget promises income tax reductions of 250 million dollars and allocates new sums of money to the health and education systems, as well as to the maintenance of roads and bridges. Spending is also increased for the protection of the environment and for the regions' economic development.[12]

March 1 - Radio DJ Louis Champagne of Saguenay creates a controversy by attacking André Boisclair and the Parti Québécois candidate in Saguenay, Sylvain Gaudreault, over their homosexuality, saying that the factory workers of Jonquière would never vote for gays. He also says the Parti Québécois is like a "club of fags". (Gaudreault went on to win the riding.) Boisclair responds that Champagne's remarks are insulting towards the people of Saguenay. Premier Charest and Action démocratique leader Dumont also condemn the attacks. Champagne is later suspended from his job and has to apologize.

March 4 - Jean-François Plante, the Action démocratique candidate in Deux-Montagnes, makes controversial comments about women on his blog. Among other things, he questions the provincial government's policies of affirmative action for women and of wage equity between traditionally masculine and feminine occupations, claiming that they lead to discrimination against men. He retracts his comments on the next day, but also accuses André Boisclair of "playing" his homosexuality when it helps him. As a result, he is forced to withdraw his candidacy on March 8. He is replaced as ADQ candidate in Deux-Montagnes by Lucie Leblanc.

March 6 - Premier Jean Charest brings the issue of Quebec independence at the forefront of the campaign by saying, while speaking with an English-language journalist, that he does not believe that in the case of separation, Quebec would necessarily keep its territorial integrity. Charest later claims that what he had actually wanted to say was that Quebec was indivisible, but his opponents recall comments he had made in 1996, while he was the leader of the federal Progressive Conservatives, to the effect that in the case of a "yes" result in the 1995 referendum, the Cree and Inuit would have had a good legal basis on which to declare independence from Quebec.

March 8 - Newspaper La Presse publishes an article claiming that in a 2003 book, Robin Philpot, Parti Québécois candidate in Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, had denied that a genocide had taken place in Rwanda in 1994. Philpot later says that he had not denied that massacres had taken place, but that he wanted people to remember that they had been committed by all parties to the conflict. André Boisclair says that he is "hurt" by his candidate's comments and reminds that the existence of the Rwandan genocide is not in question.

March 13 - The leaders debate took place in Quebec City. The Liberals, the Parti Québécois and the Action démocratique du Québec took part but Québec solidaire and the Green party were not invited to participate.

March 19 - The federal government releases a budget which gives Quebec 2.3 billion dollars.

March 23 - There is widespread outcry when poll clerks are instructed on how to let women wearing the niqāb, an Islamic face veil, vote. After the longstanding policy was criticized by all three main parties, the chief electoral officer reversed his decision and stated that all voters would have to show their face, but not before being inundated by complaints from people opposed to this form of reasonable accommodation for the immigrant population. Meanwhile, women who actually wear the niqāb say they were never opposed to showing their face when voting.[15]

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